TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees arrived in camp last spring under the shadow of one medical headline. This year, the tone is calmer. Not quiet. Just more controlled.
Twelve months ago, Gerrit Cole’s elbow dominated every conversation in Tampa. An early March diagnosis of a UCL tear wiped out his 2025 season and forced Tommy John surgery. The Yankees built their year around that loss.
Now, as the 2026 season approaches, the Yankees again open camp with Cole on the injured list. The difference is clarity. There is no new drama. There is a timeline. There is structure. And there is patience.
The Yankees will begin 2026 with three starting pitchers on the injured list. Yet inside the trainer’s room, the atmosphere has been steady.
Gerrit Cole’s return window takes shape
Cole is nearing the one-year anniversary of reconstructive elbow surgery. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said the ace right-hander “looks to be in a really good place.”
That matters.
On Feb. 20, Cole faced live hitters for the first time since surgery. He threw 20 pitches. His fastball touched 97 mph.
He admitted he was “a little surprised” by that velocity.
“At the same time, it’s logical. I’m pretty built up,” Cole said. “Things have been looking really good.”
The Yankees are not rushing him. The general expectation places his return around June 1, though no firm target has been set. For the Bombers, the key is durability over timing. A healthy Cole in June is more important than a rushed Cole in April.
Last year’s Yankees struggled to stabilize the rotation without him. This year’s group understands the assignment. New York wants Cole fully ramped before he reclaims the top spot.
Carlos Rodón trending toward May
Left-hander Carlos Rodón is on a different path. He underwent surgery last October to remove loose bodies near his left elbow and shave down a bone spur.
Rodón has thrown bullpens throughout camp. He is building extension. He is refining command.
“He’s letting it go a little further,” Boone said. “Dialing that in from a command standpoint is going to be important.”
The Yankees believe Rodón could rejoin the rotation around May 1. That timeline gives the Bombers a staggered reinforcement. First Rodón. Then Cole.
For a New York rotation that finished middle of the American League in ERA last season, that sequence matters.
Clarke Schmidt faces longer climb
Clarke Schmidt’s recovery requires more patience. He underwent his second Tommy John surgery last July 11. The first came in 2017.
Schmidt, who turns 30 this week, is throwing on flat ground. A mound return is still months away. The Yankees project a late-summer return, possibly August or September.
For now, the Yankees rotation depth must bridge that gap. Internal options and bullpen flexibility will carry early innings.
Anthony Volpe’s shoulder recovery moves forward
Anthony Volpe’s 2025 season was played through discomfort. The shortstop dealt with a left shoulder issue that eventually required labrum surgery last October.
It was later revealed the damage was worse than MRIs initially showed. Still, the recovery has progressed well. Volpe has been working defensively for weeks. He has just begun swinging a bat. Soft toss remains the next milestone.
The Yankees expect Volpe could return sometime in May. His absence leaves an infield shuffle early, but New York is not accelerating the timeline.
Volpe’s bat and defense are central to the Yankees’ lineup balance. The organization believes measured rehab now protects the long term.
Chase Hampton drawing quiet optimism
Chase Hampton, the 24-year-old pitching prospect, underwent Tommy John surgery around the same time as Cole.
“He’s chomping at the bit more because he feels really good,” Boone said. “I think there’s still a lot of reason to be excited as he gets closer to being back to full bore.”
Hampton remains a longer-term piece. But for a Yankees staff that values depth, his progress matters.
Slow-play plans define early spring
Not every Yankees injury involves the injured list.
Oswaldo Cabrera is being slow-played as exhibition games begin. Cabrera suffered a severe left ankle fracture last May. He returned to light work in September, but Boone is delaying his entry into Grapefruit League action.
There is a chance Cabrera is not fully ready for the March 25 opener.
Giancarlo Stanton follows a familiar spring routine. The 36-year-old designated hitter will not immediately appear in exhibition games.
Stanton manages chronic elbow tendinitis. Last year, severe inflammation delayed his personal Opening Day until mid-June.
Maintenance is constant.
For the Yankees, protecting Stanton’s availability over 162 games outweighs early spring at-bats.
Player to watch: Cam Schlittler
Right-hander Cam Schlittler experienced mid-back inflammation shortly after pitchers and catchers reported. The issue kept him off a mound for a week, though he continued flat-ground throwing.
Boone indicated the Yankees might opt to have Schlittler throw in live batting practice instead of early exhibition games.
The Yankees see Schlittler as important rotation depth. Caution now keeps options open later.
Yankees betting on timing, not urgency
The Yankees enter 2026 with injuries. That is not unusual. What feels different is the pacing.
Cole is progressing without setback. Rodón is trending toward May. Volpe is moving step by step. Schmidt and Hampton remain longer arcs.
The Yankees are not reacting to panic. They are reacting to calendar.
If the Bombers execute this plan, their roster will strengthen in waves rather than all at once. That layered return schedule could shape the early American League race.
For now, the Yankees’ injury story is not about crisis. It is about calculation.
The season has not started. The Yankees are already managing October in February.
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